HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

House of Commons: Housing

Lorely Burt: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the House of Commons Commission, what recent estimate the House of Commons Commission has made of the  (a) capital and  (b) rental value of the accommodation owned by the House Service at (i) 2 Parliament Street, (ii) 3 Parliament Street, (iii) 2a Canon Row, (iv) 2b Canon Row, (v) 4 Canon Row, (vi) 102 Rochester Row and (vii) 22 John Islip Street.

Stuart Bell: The capital valuation, using International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), for properties on the estate prepared by the Valuation Office Agency in October 2010 was:
	
		
			  Property  Value (£000) 
			 2 Parliament Street(1) 2,300 
			 3 Parliament Street(1) 2,800 
			 2a Canon Row(1) 780 
			 2b Canon Row(1) 610 
			 4 Canon Row(1) 1,900 
			 102 Rochester Row(2) 540 
			 22 John Islip Street(1) 600 
			 (1 )Freehold (2 )Leasehold, estimated capital value 
		
	
	The ground rent and service charge on 102 Rochester Row is £6,686-the rental value cannot be separated. The House does not presently hold market rental values for any of the above properties.

House of Commons: Housing

Lorely Burt: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the House of Commons Commission, what the running costs of each of the residences provided for officials of the House of Commons Service were in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Stuart Bell: The running costs allocated to each of the residences provided for officials of the House of Commons Service for 2009-10 were: 2 Parliament Street, £6,646; 3 Parliament Street, £7,817; 2a Canon Row and 2b Canon Row, £3,835; 4 Canon Row, £14,192; and a flat at 102 Rochester Row, £13,215. In all these cases running costs include maintenance, council tax and TV licence; in the case of Rochester Row they also include rent and service charges, utility charges and parking. The costs of 2a and 2b Canon Row cannot be separated. The cost of items aggregated with other properties on the estate, such as major infrastructure costs, are not included.

Motions: Audio Recordings

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the answer of 28 June 2010,  Official Report, columns 353-4, on motions, what progress the House of Commons Commission has made on placing on the Parliamentary website a sound recording of the debate held on a motion of no confidence in the Government on 28 March 1979; and if he will make a statement.

Stuart Bell: A site for the recording has been identified on the Living Heritage pages of the parliamentary website. The remaining work is to edit seven hours of recording down to a maximum of 15 minutes to create content suitable for website users. This work is in hand.

Recycling

Andrew Selous: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the House of Commons Commission, what procedures are in place for the separation and recycling of waste from offices on the parliamentary estate.

Stuart Bell: Many waste materials from offices on the parliamentary estate are separated and recycled, including cardboard, paper, glass, metal, light fittings, fluorescent and sodium lamps, glass, plastic drinks bottles and drinks cans, unwanted office files and binders, printer and photocopier toner cartridges, batteries, television monitors, refrigerators, small electronic equipment and computer hardware.
	Most of these are collected in recycling bins located across the parliamentary estate. The waste contractor for the House provides a recycling operative on the estate to further separate the waste collected from inside the buildings, since some waste which has been contaminated with other waste cannot be sent for recycling and has to be incinerated instead. This system has increased the quantity of waste sent for recycling and decreased the quantity of waste sent for incineration. Separate compactors for paper for recycling and other waste for incineration are provided in both Peers' Inner Court and Commissioner's Yard.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Departmental Internet

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Attorney-General if he will publish on the No. 10 Downing Street Transparency microsite details of Ministerial and special adviser meetings, hospitality, gifts and overseas travel in respect of the Law Officers' Departments.

Edward Garnier: The latest available details of ministerial meetings, hospitality, gifts and overseas travel for the Law Officers have been made available on the AGO website at:
	http://www.attorneygeneral.gov.uk/GuidetoInformation/Listsandregisters/Pages/default.aspx
	This information has also been supplied to the Cabinet Office for central publication.

Departmental Internet

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Attorney-General if he will  (a) publish a business plan for the Law Officers' Departments and  (b) make that plan available on the No. 10 Downing Street Transparency microsite.

Edward Garnier: The information requested is as follows.
	 (a) Departmental business plans as launched on 8 November 2010 are designed to be high-level documents which provide key milestones for the fundamental structural reforms being undertaken in a Department, as set out in the coalition programme for government. Where there are currently no plans to undertake major structural reforms, such as for the Law Officer's Departments, no formal requirements have been made to create a business plan.
	Arrangements for annual reporting to Parliament on departmental performance are still under consideration by Ministers. Further information will be provided in due course.
	The Law Officers' Departments have internal business plans and consideration is being given to the most appropriate form for publication.
	 (b) Where the Law Officers' Departments are required to comply with the Prime Minister's letter of 29 May 2010 to Cabinet Ministers with regard to transparency, the information is made available for all members of the public to see on the departmental website(s). Information has also been provided to Cabinet Office for central publication.

TRANSPORT

Conwy Valley Railway Line

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has had discussions with Welsh Assembly Government Ministers on the upgrading of the Conwy Valley railway line to Route Availability 10.

Theresa Villiers: The Department for Transport Ministers have not discussed this subject with the Welsh Assembly Government. Our high level output specification and the comprehensive spending review announcement set the overall context for spending on the railway in England and Wales.

Crossrail Line

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the expected date is for the completion of Crossrail.

Theresa Villiers: The central tunnel section of Crossrail is expected to be complete in 2018 and we expect that phased introduction of Crossrail services will commence from 2018.

Office of Rail Regulation: Freight

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for  (a) the Office of Rail Regulation and  (b) its duties in relation to freight lines.

Theresa Villiers: The Government are committed to ensuring that the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) becomes a passenger champion. We are discussing how best to take this forward with the ORR. We also fully recognise the importance of the work of the ORR in relation to freight. Holding Network Rail to account with regard to the quality of service it provides to freight operators is a key part of the remit of the ORR. In assessing the best options for reform of the rail industry and its regulatory structure, the Government will pay proper regard to the impact of any change on efforts to create the right climate for a successful rail freight industry.

Office of Rail Regulation: Network Rail

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what mechanisms he has put in place to ensure that the Office of Rail Regulation undertakes its functions in respect of Network Rail  (a) efficiently and  (b) in a way that meets the needs of its users.

Theresa Villiers: The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) is independent of Government and conducts its activities in accordance with its statutory functions and duties under relevant legislation, principally the Railways Act 1993 (as amended) and the Railways Act 2005.
	The Government are committed to making Network Rail more accountable to its customers and to that end the Department for Transport is working with the Office of Rail Regulation to consider the options for reform. A further announcement on this work will be made in due course.

Railways: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of people in  (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and  (b) the London borough of Bexley who have a 16 to 25 rail card.

Theresa Villiers: The Department for Transport does not hold information about the number of people who hold 16 to 25 rail cards and has made no estimation of the numbers of holders in either the Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency or the London borough of Bexley.

Railways: South West

Conor Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to upgrade rail infrastructure in the South West.

Theresa Villiers: Annex E of the Office of Rail Regulation's determination of funding for control period 4 lists the enhancements that will be made to the railway between April 2009 and March 2014. However, this information is not broken down by region. The determination document can be found online at:
	http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/383.pdf
	My hon. Friend may wish to contact Network Rail's acting chief executive at the following address for more detailed information on the planned programme of improvements:
	Peter Henderson
	Acting Chief Executive
	Network Rail
	Kings Place
	90 York Way
	London, N1 9AG.
	A further announcement about other specific rail improvements will be made shortly.

Railways: Wales

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if he will take steps to ensure the Office of Rail Regulation regulates the maintenance of all railway lines in Wales, including diversionary and other routes used for carrying freight, to the Route Availability stated in the Sectional Appendix; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will take steps to ensure that the Office of Rail Regulation ensure that Network Rail maintains the Conwy Valley railway line to Route Availability 7 as stated in the Sectional Appendix.

Theresa Villiers: The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) is independent of Government and conducts its activities in accordance with its statutory functions and duties. This includes holding Network Rail to account for delivering its obligations under its network licence. The network licence requires Network Rail, among other things, to manage the railway network so as to satisfy the reasonable requirements of operators and funders, both current and potential.
	Maintenance of the railway is governed by robust processes, which provide safeguards for industry stakeholders. The ORR sets a baseline for the capability of the network and Periodic Review determinations ensure that Network Rail is funded to operate, maintain and renew the network to that capability. However, this does not preclude changes to the capability of the network being made in accordance with agreed industry procedures where this is considered appropriate.

INDEPENDENT PARLIAMENTARY STANDARDS AUTHORITY COMMITTEE

Mass Media

Helen Jones: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what meetings members of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) staff have had with representatives of press and media organisations since IPSA's inception; on what date each such meeting was held; where each such meeting was held; and what the names were of those who attended each such meeting.

Charles Walker: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
	 Letter from Andrew McDonald:
	As Interim Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what meetings members of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) staff have held with representatives of press and media organisations since IPSA's inception; on what date each such meeting was held; where each such meeting was held; and what the names were of those who attended each such meeting. (22339)
	In the course of their work, IPSA staff have meetings and conversations with a wide range of people, including from time to time with members of press and media organisations. Disclosure of details of such meetings would, in my view, inhibit free and frank discussions.

Members: Pay

Helen Jones: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, how many staff of hon. Members have  (a) not received salaries to which they are entitled and  (b) received less than their full salary from the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority in each month since May 2010.

Charles Walker: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
	 Letter from Andrew McDonald:
	As Interim Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many staff of hon. Members have (a) not received salaries to which they are entitled and (b) received less than their full salary from the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority in each month since May 2010.
	We are not aware of members of MPs' staff not receiving either their full salary with a matching payslip, or an advance payment to cover any missing salary or significant underpayments.
	The table below shows the number of advances made and the reasons why the employee was underpaid or did not receive a payslip. The table also shows the number of salaries paid in each month to provide some context.
	
		
			 Reason for advance 
			  Month  Number of salaries paid  Number of advances  Incomplete information received from MP  Information received post-payroll cut off date  Administrative error by IPSA  Not stated 
			 May 802 2 1 - - 1 
			 June 2,897 104 48 45 10 1 
			 July 3,090 27 12 11 3 1 
			 August 3,147 8 4 2 2 - 
			 September 3,215 16 8 1 2 5 
			 October 3,246 6 2 4 - - 
			 November (1)- 4 - 2 2 - 
			 Total 16,397 167 75 65 19 8 
			 (1) Payroll yet to run.

EDUCATION

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to reply to the letter of 9 September 2010 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on Miss G Persse, transferred from the Department for Work and Pensions.

Tim Loughton: My noble Friend Lord Hill of Oareford replied in a letter dated 24 October 2010.

Schools: Finance

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools have been supported by Youth Sport Trust funding in each of the last three years.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 28 October 2010
	The Youth Sport Trust does not fund schools directly. The Department has paid grant to the network of school sport partnerships since 2003. All primary, secondary and special schools have been part of this network since 2006 and have benefited from this support. While the network helped schools to increase participation rates in the areas targeted by the previous Government, the fact remains that the proportion of pupils playing competitive sport regularly has remained disappointingly low. Only around two in every five pupils play competitive sport regularly within their own school, and only one in five plays regularly against others schools. In removing the many PE and sport targets and requirements placed on schools by the previous Government, we are freeing them to take decisions about the competitive sport that they offer in the best interests of the pupils and parents they serve.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Housing

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects all family accommodation to be fully modernised.

Andrew Robathan: We place a high priority on the welfare of Service personnel and their families and will therefore look to modernise as much accommodation as possible from efficiencies found within the Ministry of Defence, subject to wider Defence needs.

Armed Forces: Private Education

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Edinburgh West of 10 November 2010,  Official Report, column 391W, on armed forces: private education, how many service personnel of each rank received financial assistance from his Department through the continuity of education allowance scheme in 2009-10; and what the monetary value was of such assistance provided to service personnel of each rank in that year.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 17 November 2010
	Continuity of education allowance (CEA) provides an important means of supporting accompanied service. However this allowance, along with all service allowances, is currently under review in order to ensure value for money.
	The number of service personnel identified by Army rank or equivalent and the associated payments of CEA in financial year 2009-10 is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Army rank or equivalent  Number of service personnel receiving CEA in FY 2009-10  Cost of CEA in FY 2009-10 (£ million ) 
			 Lt/2nd Lt 10 0.2 
			 Capt 640 11.8 
			 Maj 1,000 19.9 
			 Lt Col 1,120 25.3 
			 Col 480 10.6 
			 Brig 160 3.6 
			 Maj Gen 40 0.7 
			 Lt Gen 10 0.1 
			 Gen (1)- (2)- 
			 Pte (Class 1-3) 70 0.9 
			 L/Cpl 50 0.7 
			 Cpl 360 5.0 
			 Sgt 680 10.2 
			 S/Sgt 680 10.7 
			 WO2 470 7.2 
			 WOl 260 4.4 
			 Grand total 6,020 111.3 
			 (1)- Denotes fewer than five (2)- Denotes less than £0.5 million (£50,000)  Notes: 1. Where personnel have been promoted during a financial year, only their most senior rank has been counted. 2. The number of claimants is rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Rounding has been applied to all figures. When rounding to the nearest 10, numbers ending in five have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias. Totals have been rounded separately and therefore may not equal the sum of their rounded parts. 
		
	
	In addition, as elements of CEA are subject to a pay as you earn settlement agreement with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, the Ministry of Defence also paid £66 million for tax and national insurance following the grossing up of the allowance.

Departmental Allowances

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how long on average he spends managing expenses and allowances claims; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Fox: My ministerial colleagues and I follow the Ministry of Defence's Policy, Rules and Guidance on expenses and allowances in the course of our official duties. However, the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Regulation

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what regulations sponsored by his Department have been revoked in the last six months.

Andrew Robathan: In the last six months, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has not revoked any regulatory measures. However, we are currently reviewing our secondary legislation in two areas. Firstly, regulations governing the Service Pensions and Compensation Schemes are reviewed annually and updated where necessary. Also being reviewed are existing Defence byelaws and other local instruments in relation to land occupied for Defence purposes.
	Although regulations made by the MOD rarely impact on business, our reviews are being conducted with a view to rationalise the regulatory burden within these policy areas.

Departmental Regulation

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what new regulations sponsored by his Department have been introduced through  (a) primary legislation and  (b) statutory instrument in the last six months.

Andrew Robathan: In the last six months, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has not introduced any regulations through primary legislation. During this period, one general statutory instrument has been introduced to update the armed forces' and reserve forces' compensation scheme.
	The MOD has also introduced one local instrument in the last six months as part of our long-standing project to update existing Defence byelaws, and two further local instruments relating to members of the reserve forces in the Isle of Man.

Met Office

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department will assess the merits of offering a public tender for its meteorological services contract held by the Met Office.

Andrew Robathan: A review of the Met Office will be undertaken which will consider, among other options, different contracting opportunities for the meteorological services. It will report on its findings by the end of March 2011.

RAF Lyneham

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether his Department has carried out a feasibility study into accommodating at RAF Lyneham service personnel and their families currently stationed in Germany;
	(2)  whether he has estimated the cost of converting RAF Lyneham into a base for service personnel and their families currently stationed in Germany;
	(3)  which locations in the UK he is considering as potential bases for armed forces personnel and their families currently stationed in Germany.

Nick Harvey: Detailed work is currently being undertaken to identify precisely how the re-basing will be implemented and this work will take into account costs and accommodation issues. It is too early to say where personnel returning from Germany will be based. The possibilities could include parts of the existing defence estate which will be vacated as a result of other strategic defence and security review decisions, but this will be considered as we work through the details.

Rescue Services

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with the Soteria consortium on the demilitarisation of Search and Rescue services in the UK.

Andrew Robathan: The Review of the Search and Rescue-Helicopter project, announced in June 2010, is extensive and looking at all aspects of the procurement. Discussions are taking place with the preferred bidder (Soteria) where necessary. Until the Review is concluded it would be inappropriate to comment on any specific aspects of the Review.

Rescue Services

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether his Department has undertaken an impact assessment of the demilitarisation of Search and Rescue services in the UK;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on the Search and Rescue private finance initiative contract;
	(3)  when his Department expects the review of the search and rescue private finance initiative contract to conclude; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence has discussed the review of Search and Rescue Helicopter (SAR-H) project with the Secretary of State for Transport on a number of occasions. Ministers and officials from both Departments continue to engage.
	Until the review of the SAR-H project is concluded it would be inappropriate to comment on any specific aspects of the Review. I expect this to happen in the near future, when an announcement on the way forward will be made.

Rescue Services

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) Royal Navy,  (b) RAF,  (c) HM Coastguard and  (d) civilian personnel are employed in roles related to search and rescue activities.

Andrew Robathan: The number of personnel currently employed in roles directly related to search and rescue activities in each of the four categories are listed in the following table:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Royal Navy 81 
			 RAF 272 
			 Maritime Coastguard Agency 491 
			 Civilians (employed by MOD) 384 
		
	
	The figures exclude Royal Navy, RAF, Maritime Coastguard Agency and civilian personnel who are employed in roles which indirectly support search and rescue activities but which also carry out non-search and rescue tasks. The figures also exclude volunteers who support search and rescue activities.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Arts: Education

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussion he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on the withdrawal of teaching support funding from arts degree courses.

Jeremy Hunt: I regularly meet with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovations and Skills to discuss cross-departmental issues.

Arts: Finance

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions he had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on the effects on arts and culture funding of the abolition of regional development agencies prior to the announcement of the outcomes of the Comprehensive Spending Review.

Jeremy Hunt: I regularly meet with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovations and Skills to discuss cross-departmental issues.

Arts: Finance

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions he had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the effects on arts and culture funding of cuts to local authority grants prior to the announcement of the outcomes of the Comprehensive Spending Review.

Jeremy Hunt: I regularly meet with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to discuss cross-departmental issues.

Arts: Finance

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the funding provided by each local authority for arts and cultural organisations and activities in the last five years.

Edward Vaizey: This Department does not collate each local authority's funding for arts and cultural authority. Annual data of overall local authority expenditure on cultural provision, including arts development and support, are published by the Department for Communities and Local Government. Local Government Financial Statistics England publications are available for the last five years at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment/localregional/localgovernmentfinance/statistics/

Broadband

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what his most recent estimate is of the cost to the public purse of implementing his proposals for the roll-out of high-speed broadband by 2017.

Edward Vaizey: The cost to central Government comprises £530 million, allocated in the spending review to support the rollout of broadband, and a further £300 million available from the TV licence fee settlement in the years 2015-16 and 2016-17. We will seek to match these funds with contributions from other public sector bodies where possible although until local delivery models are confirmed we are unable to provide a firm forecast of how much this will amount to.

Departmental Press: Subscriptions

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much  (a) his Department and  (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible spent on press cuttings services in each of the last 12 months.

John Penrose: The amounts spent by the Department on press cuttings in each of the last 12 months are set out in the table:
	
		
			  Month  £ (including) VAT 
			  2009  
			 November 4,971.71 
			 December 4,206.70 
			   
			  2010  
			 January 4,573.44 
			 February 4,616.97 
			 March 5,098.15 
			 April 4,096.20 
			 May 3,895.16 
			 June 3,561.71 
			 July 3,932.62 
			 August 4,118.80 
			 September 3,912.98 
			 October 4,193.94 
		
	
	These costs include copyright charges to the Newspaper Licensing Agency paid via our press cuttings service provider.
	The Department does not collate this information for its arm's length bodies. Accordingly, I have asked their chief executives to write to the hon. Member for Harwich and North Essex.
	Copies of the replies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Departmental Regulation

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what regulations sponsored by his Department have been revoked in the last six months.

John Penrose: The following statutory instruments sponsored by the Department have been revoked in the last six months:
	The Ecclesiastical Exemption (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (England) Order 2010 revoked The Ecclesiastical Exemption (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (England) Order 2004;
	The Royal Parks and Other Open Spaces (Amendment) (No. 2) etc. Regulations 2010 revoked The Royal Parks and Other Open Spaces (Amendment) etc. Regulations 2010;
	The Welsh Language (Gambling and Licensing Form) Regulations 2010 revoked The Welsh Language (Gambling and Licensing Form) Order 2007.
	The first and third instruments are replaced by similar regimes provided for by the revoking instrument. The second instrument revokes provisions permitting charging for parking in Richmond and Bushey parks.

Departmental Regulation

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what new regulations sponsored by his Department have been introduced through  (a) primary legislation and  (b) statutory instrument in the last six months.

John Penrose: The following regulations sponsored by the Department and contained in statutory instruments have been made in the last six months:
	The Ecclesiastical Exemption (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (England) (Amendment) Order 2010;
	The Olympics, Paralympics and London Olympics Association Rights (Infringement Proceedings) Regulations 2010;
	The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport Order 2010;
	The Legislative Reform (Licensing) (Interim Authority Notices etc) Order 2010;
	The Royal Parks and Other Open Spaces (Amendment) (No.2) etc. Regulations 2010;
	The Football Spectators (Seating) Order 2010;
	The Safety of Sports Grounds (Designation) Order 2010;
	The Safety of Sports Grounds (Designation) (No. 2) Order 2010;
	The Safety of Sports Grounds (Designation) (No. 3) Order 2010;
	The Audiovisual Media Services (Codification) Regulations 2010;
	The Welsh Language (Gambling and Licensing Form) Regulations 2010.
	The Department has not sponsored any primary legislation in the last six months.

Youth Sports: Finance

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions he had with the Secretary of State for Education on funding for Youth Sport Trust before the announcement of the outcomes of the Comprehensive Spending Review.

Jeremy Hunt: I regularly meet with the Secretary of State for Education to discuss cross-departmental issues.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Energy: Prices

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the compliance of energy suppliers with Ofgem's overarching standards of conduct in respect of the requirement to not supply products that are unnecessarily complex or confusing; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether Ofgem has made an assessment of the number of energy products on the market that are deemed unnecessarily complex or confusing under its overarching standards of conduct; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  whether Ofgem makes an assessment of the compliance of new energy products that enter the market with its overarching standards of conduct in respect of the requirement not to supply products that are unnecessarily complex or confusing; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what measure of  (a) complexity and  (b) confusion Ofgem applies in its assessment of the compliance of energy products with the requirement not to be unnecessarily complex or confusing under its overarching standards of conduct; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: It is for Ofgem to monitor compliance with its standards of conduct. To meet its principal duty, to protect the interests of consumers, Ofgem actively monitors the activities of licence holders, including compliance with their standards of conduct.
	As part of this process Ofgem will review whether changes to the gas and electricity supply licences introduced as part of the energy supply probe have proved sufficient to help consumers understand and benefit from the range of tariffs available to them, and consider what further steps may be needed.
	Ofgem has said that if suppliers do not meet the obligations they will consider more formal action.

Energy: Prices

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department monitors the application of  (a) exit fees in respect of and  (b) penalties applied to energy suppliers' tariffs; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: Ofgem monitors compliance with energy supply licence conditions. To meet its principal duty, to protect the interests of consumers, Ofgem actively monitors the activities of licence holders, including compliance with licence conditions which regulate the circumstances in which termination fees may be charged by suppliers to domestic consumers.
	Subject to concurrency arrangements with the OFT, Ofgem also has the power under the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 to investigate complaints about the fairness of contractual terms (including terms relating to amount of exit/termination fees) used in standard form contracts with domestic consumers.

Wind Power: Planning Permission

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what mechanisms are in place to ensure that local communities are consulted on the location of land-based wind turbines.

Charles Hendry: The relevant local planning authority "Statement of Community Involvement" will set out the method, scope and timing for consulting communities on applications for significant development, including onshore wind farms up to 50 megawatts installed capacity. Pre-application consultation is good practice. All planning applications have to be advertised for 21 days during which period representations can be made to the local planning authority. However we are currently considering how our planning reforms can best improve the ways in which communities are engaged in planning matters.
	Applications for consent for wind farm developments made under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 are required to be advertised in the national and local press and in the London Gazette. A copy of the application, with a plan showing the land to which it relates, together with a copy of the Environmental Statement, explaining the company's proposals in more detail and presenting an analysis of the environmental implications, and a non-technical summary are made available for inspection at locations in the vicinity of the development.
	Finally under the Planning Act 2008, on applications for consenting wind farms of over 50 megawatts installed capacity, local communities are consulted at three different points in the process: during the public consultation on National Policy Statements (NPS); during the pre-examination consultation (when the developer consults the local community on its proposals) and during the examination period.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Community Development: Finance

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what arrangements are in place to ensure that payments for schemes under Community builders programme are available where final invoices are not presented by the end of the financial year; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: All Government Department budgets are set for each financial year and money must be spent by the year end to comply with government accounting requirements. In the past the overall financial position of the Department meant that we were able to offer some flexibility beyond the end of the financial year on disbursement timescales for Communitybuilders. The Government's priority must be to reduce the deficit, and this flexibility is therefore not available at present for new commitments. We are working closely with our delivery partner to consider ways of maximising the fund's potential.

JUSTICE

Church Commissioners

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice for what reasons the Church Commissioners have not been designated as a public body subject to provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Church Commissioners are not subject to the Freedom of Information Act because they do not perform a public function. Rather, their duties relates to the administration of the Church.

Refugee and Migrant Justice

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assistance he provides to survivors of torture entering the UK from abroad following the ending of funding for the service provided by Refugee and Migrant Justice.

Jonathan Djanogly: The most important issue after Refugee and Migrant Justice (RMJ) decided to enter into administration was the arrangements for its clients. The Legal Services Commission (LSC) worked with the administrators of RMJ to transfer live cases to new legal aid providers.
	I understand that all files were transferred or, if further work was unnecessary, closed by 13 August. All of those new providers are required to meet the same high standards, including an accreditation scheme for all advisers and supervisors and a quality assurance system.
	So far as the longer term is concerned, the LSC recently ran a tender round for delivering asylum and immigration services under new contracts. An increased number of offices applied to do the work and bid for more than double the amount of cases available. Those contracts commenced on 15 November.

HEALTH

Dental Services

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms will be put in place to ensure that the dental expertise of primary care trust commissioning staff is preserved during the proposed reconfiguration of the NHS following the publication of the White Paper Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS.

Anne Milton: Work is already under way to plan the transition from the current commissioning arrangements to those proposed in our White Paper, "Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS". We are committed to introducing a new national dental contract based on registration, capitation and quality, which we are developing in consultation with representatives of patients, the dental profession and national health service managers, and which we will pilot. We will publish in December our proposals for pilots, and as part of the development work, will assess the resources and skills required for commissioning dental services under the new contract.

Dental Services

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had on the commissioning of (a) salaried primary care dental services and  (b) secondary dental care.

Anne Milton: Ministers and departmental officials have had wide-ranging discussions, including meetings, at which the commissioning of these services was discussed, with the British Dental Association and representatives of the dental schools, dental hospitals and the salaried dental services.

Dental Services: Fees and Charges

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 21 October 2010,  Official Report, column 844W, on dental services: fees and charges, with whom Monitor will be expected to work collaboratively in setting price levels for the benefit of patients and taxpayers.

Anne Milton: We have consulted on proposals for Monitor and the NHS Commissioning Board to work collaboratively in setting prices for national health service services and we intend to bring forward legislation in this parliamentary session. We are not in a position to provide further details at this stage.

Drugs: Misuse

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the proposed payment by outcomes approach in respect of drug treatment and rehabilitation.

Anne Milton: Officials in the Department, along with cross-Government colleagues, are currently in the process of developing plans to pilot for improved recovery outcomes in the treatment of drug dependence. Further details will be announced as part of the drug strategy, which is due for publication in December.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans he has for the proportion of the contract value linked to the Commissioning for Quality and Innovation payment framework for providers of acute services in 2011-12;
	(2)  what plans he has for the proportion of the financial value of the NHS Commissioning for Quality and Innovation payment framework which is linked to nationally-defined goals in 2011-12.

Anne Milton: The scope and value of the Commissioning for Quality and Innovation payment framework are currently under review for 2011-12. The Government plan to confirm any changes to the framework for 2011-12, including the financial value of schemes and whether there will be any nationally defined goals, later this year.

NHS: Manpower

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) nurses,  (b) doctors and  (c) midwives were employed in the NHS on 1 April 2010 and what estimate he has made of the number of each type of staff likely to be so employed on 31 March (i) 2011, (ii) 2012, (iii) 2013 and (iv) 2014.

Anne Milton: The number of nurses, doctors and midwives employed in the national health service are available from the NHS Information Centre for health and social care who publish the monthly work force statistics. The following tables show full-time equivalent and headcount staff in post as at 31 March 2010.
	The precise numbers of nurses required over the next four years will not be known until the new organisations that will underpin the new system have been designed in more detail.
	The Department has consulted on how the new organisations should be designed and is analysing responses. Information on how the new organisations should be designed will be announced in due course.
	
		
			  England-March 2010  Headcount 
			 Total 1,219,500 
			   
			 Professionally qualified clinical staff 627,593 
			   
			 All HCHS doctors (including locums) 104,144 
			   
			 All HCHS doctors (non-locum) 102,346 
			 Consultants (including Directors of public health) 37,102 
			 Registrars 37,097 
			 Other doctors in training 14,056 
			 Hospital practitioners and clinical assistants 2,282 
			 Other medical and dental staff 12,197 
			   
			 All HCHS doctors (locum) 2,086 
			 Consultants (including Directors of public health) 1,399 
			 Registrars-locum 263 
			 Other doctors in training-locum 134 
			 Hospital practitioners and clinical assistants-locum 55 
			 Other medical and dental staff-locum 258 
			   
			 Total HCHS non-medical staff 1,115,417 
			   
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 354,737 
			 Qualified midwives 24,839 
			 Qualified health visitors 10,213 
			 Qualified school nurses 1,489 
			  Note: Headcount totals are unlikely to equal the sum of components.  Source: The NHS Information Centre 
		
	
	
		
			  England-March 2010  Full-time equivalents (FTE 
			 Total 1,080,087 
			   
			 Professionally qualified clinical staff 572,310 
			   
			 All HCHS doctors (including locums) 100,277 
			   
			 All HCHS doctors (non-locum) 98,571 
			 Consultants (including Directors of public health) 35,789 
			 Registrars 37,777 
			 Other doctors in training 14,195 
			 Hospital practitioners and clinical assistants 492 
			 Other medical and dental staff 10,318 
			   
			 All HCHS doctors (locum) 1,706 
			 Consultants (including Directors of public health) 1,189 
			 Registrars-locum 222 
			 Other doctors in training-locum 110 
			 Hospital practitioners and clinical assistants-locum 14 
			 Other medical and dental staff-locum 171 
			   
			 Total HCHS non-medical staff 979,810 
			   
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 320,563 
			 Qualified midwives 21,396 
			 Qualified health visitors 8,744 
			 Qualified school nurses 1,237 
			  Source: The NHS Information Centre

Physiology: Regulation

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what procedures are in place for  (a) NHS Trusts and  (b) members of the public to make complaints about practising clinical physiologists.

Anne Milton: Clinical physiologists are not statutorily regulated. Employer concerns would therefore be dealt with through internal national health service clinical governance and human resources processes. They may also refer a clinical physiologist to the Registration Council for Clinical Physiology, if they are on the voluntary register. We are currently considering, within the context of the Government's wider health strategy, whether to regulate healthcare scientists, including clinical physiologists, and how this might be done.
	Members of the public are able to make a complaint about practising clinical physiologists providing NHS services through the statutory NHS complaints arrangements. In the first instance, the complaint would be made to either the organisation providing the service or the local primary care trust.

Thromboembolism: Health Services

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 1 November 2010,  Official Report, column 658W, on thromboembolism, what estimate he made of the cost to the public purse of treating patients included in the count of finished consultant episodes with a primary or secondary diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in each year between 2004-05 and 2008-09.

Anne Milton: The Department does not collect costs by diagnosis. It collects the costs to national health service providers of providing standard groupings of clinically similar treatments, known as health care resource groups (HRGs), the precise grouping of which may depend on the presence of other diagnosis and intervention codes and patient characteristics in the episode of care.
	We are aware that venous thromboembolism events are generally under-reported and pulmonary embolism is significantly under-diagnosed before death. However, the following table shows the costs reported in HRGs for deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolus by NHS providers in each year between 2004-05 and 2008-09.
	
		
			  Costs to the NHS of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolus 2004-05 to 2008-09 
			  £ million 
			  HRG description  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Deep vein thrombosis 25.4 26.6 25.7 26.0 27.9 
			 Pulmonary embolus 24.7 27.8 35.2 38.3 .46.7 
			  Notes: 1. Figures calculated from schedule 4 (NHS Trusts and PCTs combined) of the national schedules of reference costs for the financial years 2004-05 to 2008-09 published at: www.dh.gov.uk/nhscosting 2. 2004-04 and 2005-06 costs were collected on health care resource group version 3.5 (HRG3.5) and include: (a) D10 Pulmonary Embolis with complications and comorbidities (b) D11 Pulmonary Embolis without complications and comorbidities (c) E20 Deep Vein Thrombosis >69 or with complications and comorbidities (d) E21 Deep Vein Thrombosis <70 without complications and comorbidities 3. 2006-07 to 2008-09 costs were collected on health care resource group 4 (HRG4) and include: (a) DZ09A Pulmonary Embolus with major complications and comorbidities (b) DZ09B Pulmonary Embolus with complications and comorbidities (c) DZ09C Pulmonary Embolus without complications and comorbidities (d) EB11Z Deep Vein Thrombosis

Thromboembolism: Health Services

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to make venous thromboembolism in the NHS a never event; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The Department has proposed an extended list of "never events" and is currently undertaking an open engagement exercise to seek comments on the proposals and to consider suggestions for additional events to include in this list.
	A copy of the proposals has already been placed in the Library and is available at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/publicationsandstatistics/publications/publicationspolicyandguidance/dh_120247
	The engagement process will run until 19 November 2010, following which the Government will consider all suggestions for amendments and additions to the "never event" list. We will publish an expanded list of "never events" in due course.

Thromboembolism: Health Services

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding was allocated to the National Venous Thromboembolism Prevention programme in each of the last five years; and what such funding was allocated to that programme for 2011.

Anne Milton: The funding allocated to the National Venous Thromboembolism Prevention programme over the last five years was as follows:
	
		
			  Venous Thromboembolism Prevention Strategy 
			   £ 
			 2005-06 n/a 
			 2006-07 n/a 
			 2007-08 93,500 
			 2008-09 125,936 
			 2009-10 192,764 
			 Total 412,200 
		
	
	The national programme did not commence until 2007-08.
	Allocations for 2011-12 have not yet been finalised. The prevention strategy depends on clinical and managerial leadership, and is not reliant on the provision of specific funding to the national health service.

Thromboembolism: Health Services

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to include knowledge of nationally-endorsed venous thromboembolism prevention protocols as a basic patient safety and experience measure in the process of revalidation for doctors.

Anne Milton: The process of medical revalidation is currently being tested in pilots across a number of health settings. The intention is that it will require the doctor to demonstrate that they are up to date and fit to practise. Revalidation will be a continuing evaluation of a doctor's practice in the place or places in which the doctor works, rather than a point-in-time assessment of a doctor's specific knowledge and skills. It will be based on local systems of appraisal and clinical governance.

Thromboembolism: Health Services

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to take steps to ensure that venous thromboembolism prevention education is made a core element of undergraduate medical curricula; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The General Medical Council is the regulator for all stages of medical training. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) prevention is currently included as an element of the patient safety aspects of curricula at undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing professional education programmes. We are currently working with the Three Professions Group-the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, Royal College of Nursing and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society to ensure that the key issues of patient safety and quality of care relating to hospital acquired VTE, are embedded effectively in clinical practice.

Thromboembolism: Health Services

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking in response to the review undertaken by the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death in respect of its findings on the venous thromboembolism risk assessment and prophylaxis received by patients undergoing surgery  (a) for a fractured neck or femur and  (b) on the acute abdomen.

Anne Milton: Since April 2010 it has been mandatory for all adult patients, including those admitted for fractured neck of femur and an acute abdomen, to be risk assessed for venous thromboembolism (VTE) using the clinical criteria of national VTE risk assessment tool, and to be prescribed appropriate prophylaxis based on national clinical guidance.
	We would expect this comprehensive approach to VTE risk prevention to have significant impact on reducing the number of adult patients suffering from fractured neck of femur and acute abdomen from acquiring a VTE as a result of their hospital admission.

Thromboembolism: Health Services

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of venous thromboembolism characterised by  (a) deep vein thrombosis and  (b) pulmonary embolism were recorded in patients in NHS psychiatric facilities in each of the last five years.

Anne Milton: The information requested is not collected by the Department.

Thromboembolism: Health Services

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether instances of hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism will be classified as emergency hospital readmissions in respect of the proposed policy not to reimburse trusts for additional treatment required during an emergency readmission within 28 days of discharge.

Anne Milton: The proposed policy is that from 1 April 2011 hospital trusts will not receive further payment for avoidable readmissions within 30 days of discharge. The policy is intended to apply to patients whose emergency readmission would have been preventable by better care either before or after discharge, and there will be some exclusions where readmission is an expected part of planned care. Further details of the policy will be announced later in the year.

Tobacco: Packaging

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department assessed the merits of bringing forward proposals to require plain packaging for cigarettes as an alternative to a ban on tobacco displays.

Anne Milton: The Government are looking at options around the display of tobacco in shops, recognising the need to take action both to reduce tobacco consumption and to reduce burdens on businesses. No decisions have yet been made. We are also developing our overall approach to tobacco control across a range of issues, which will be set out in the forthcoming public health White Paper.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Business

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his definition is of entrepreneurial culture with reference to page 42 of the White Paper Local growth: realising every place's potential.

Mark Prisk: Compared to other G7 countries, the building blocks for enterprise in the UK appear strong. Fear of failure is lower, and perception of having the necessary skills to start a business is higher, than any country other than the United States. However, while 47% of people think they have the skills to start a business, just 4% expect to do so in the next three years and the positive headline statistics mask wide variation by region, by gender and by ethnicity.
	An entrepreneurial culture is one where people value entrepreneurs; where people have the aspiration, ambitions, skills and confidence to take the initiative and start an enterprise for themselves; where more people start a business or social enterprise.
	The enterprise culture referenced in the White Paper aims to create a far more positive and facilitated approach to enterprise for all people in all locations-exactly the kind of attitudes to, and appetite for, enterprise we last saw generated in the 1980s.

Education: Merseyside

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Aimhigher in Merseyside in improving educational aspiration and attainment; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: holding answer 16 November 2010
	The Aimhigher programme is managed by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and delivered through 42 partnerships of schools, colleges and universities in England. HEFCE ensures effective delivery of the programme through annual monitoring and approval of partnership delivery plans.
	Analysis of data shows that, over the period 2004-09, the number of applicants from 11-18 schools in Greater Merseyside receiving intensive Aimhigher support increased more than twice as quickly as those from 11-18 schools receiving less Aimhigher support. Over the same period, accepted applicants from 11-18 schools receiving intensive Aimhigher support rose more than twice as quickly as those from 11-18 schools receiving less Aimhigher support. This analysis is not able to separate out the effect of Aimhigher from that of other factors.

Foreign Investment in UK

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what mechanisms will be in place for the  (a) administration and  (b) funding of programmes for inward investment to the regions following the closure of the regional development agencies.

Mark Prisk: Ministers have announced their intention to abolish the RDAs and transfer responsibility for delivery of inward investment to the national level. As set out in the Local Growth White Paper, UK Trade and Investment is currently developing a framework to deliver inward investment activity. The new framework will be organised around two operational principles. The first being the provision of national, sectoral support (effectively the front line, UK based sales force) and the second the provision of support around the local needs of investors. The people providing this support will be geographically dispersed around England and sited, ideally, near to key clusters of excellence. The full details are still being worked up. The overall budget has not yet been finalised.

Higher Education

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he plans to take to enable universities to attract students and research funding; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: Universities in the UK are autonomous and develop their own strategies for competing in the global student market, and are extremely competent at doing so. The world-class reputation that the HE sector enjoys means that the UK attracts more students to study here than any country other than the US. The Government works with and supports the British Council overseas to promote the UK as a study destination.
	But Government's most important role is in helping to ensure the HE sector maintains the reputation for excellence around the world which makes a UK degree such a valuable commodity. The changes to HE funding and student finance the Government announced on 3 November are intended to do just that.
	Despite enormous pressure on public spending, the overall level of funding for science and research programmes has been protected in cash terms in a ring-fenced budget. The Government's key aims in funding science and research are to support research excellence and international competitiveness, to make best use of our science base and ensure the UK remains an attractive place to conduct research.

Higher Education: Business

Helen Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many  (a) men and  (b) women completed MBAs at universities in each of the last three years.

David Willetts: The numbers of male and female Master of Business Administration (MBA) qualifiers at UK higher education institutions are shown in the following table for the 2007/08 and 2008/09 academic years. Information on MBA qualifiers became available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) for the first time in 2007/08 and is not available for earlier years. Figures for the 2009/10 academic year will become available from HESA in January 2011.
	
		
			  Male and female MBA qualifiers( 1)  UK higher education institutions 
			  Academic years 2007/08 and 2008/09 
			  Academic year  Male  Female 
			 2007/08 5,615 2,365 
			 2008/09 6,100 2,575 
			 (1) Covers qualifiers of all domiciles from full-time and part-time courses.  Note: Figures are based on a qualifications obtained population and have been rounded to the nearest 5.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency Student Record

Higher Education: Business

Helen Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many  (a) men and  (b) women studied for business degrees at undergraduate level at universities in each of the last three years.

David Willetts: The numbers of male and female undergraduate students enrolled on business and administrative studies courses at UK higher education institutions are shown in the table.
	Figures are provided for the 2006/07, 2007/08 and 2008/09 academic years. However, due to an update of the Higher Education Statistics Agency subject coding frame, in the 2007/08 academic year, figures for 2007/08 and 2008/09 are not directly comparable with those for 2006/07. Information for the 2009/10 academic year will become available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency from January 2011.
	
		
			  Male and female undergraduate enrolments( 1)  in business and administrative studies UK higher education Institutions 
			  Academic years 2006/07, 2007/08 and 2008/09 
			   2006/07  2007/08  2008/09 
			  Principal subject( 2)  Male  Female  Male  Female  Male  Female 
			 Business studies 44,925 41,585 44,080 41,390 44,920 42,240 
			 Management studies 22,810 20,665 20,330 18,315 22,445 20,195 
			 Finance 6,430 4,555 7,280 5,305 7,895 5,775 
			 Accounting 14,880 13,225 15,330 13,540 16,005 14,050 
			 Marketing 7,085 9,110 7,240 9,050 7,365 9,635 
			 Human Resource Management 1,575 3,600 1,940 3,685 1,920 4,020 
			 Office skills 160 1,070 215 1,015 125 850 
			 Hospitality, leisure, tourism and transport(3) 3,460 7,845 8,660 13,040 9,910 14,365 
			 Others in Business and Administrative studies 870 450 990 495 1,085 620 
			 Balanced combination-Business and Administrative studies 185 165 5 5 10 20 
			 Total 102,385 102,270 106,070 105,845 111,675 111,780 
			 (1) Covers full-time and part-time enrolments of all domiciles. (2) HESA updated their subject coding frame for the 2007/08 academic year. Figures for the 2007/08 and 2008/09 academic years are, therefore, not directly comparable with those for 2006/07. (3) This principal subject covered tourism, transport and travel in the 2006/07 academic year and was expanded to include hospitality and leisure from 2007/08 onwards.  Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and are rounded to the nearest five, so components may not sum to totals.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record

Higher Education: Dartford

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many young people normally resident in Dartford constituency continued to higher education in the last five years.

David Willetts: The numbers of young (aged under 21) undergraduate entrants from Dartford constituency to UK higher education institutions are shown in the table for the academic years 2004/05 to 2008/09. Figures for the 2009/10 academic year will become available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency in January 2011. Information on entrants to higher education courses at further education colleges is not available at constituency level.
	
		
			  Young( 1)  undergraduate entrants( 2)  from Dartford constituency( 3) -UK higher education institutions( 4) , academic years 2004/05 to 2008/09 
			  Academic year  Entrants 
			 2004/05 365 
			 2005/06 445 
			 2006/07 445 
			 2007/08 435 
			 2008/09 485 
			 (1) Aged under 21. (2) Covers undergraduate entrants to full-time and part-time courses. (3) The table does not include entrants where the constituency of the student cannot be established due to missing or invalid postcode information. (4) Excludes the Open University due to inconsistencies in their coding of entrants across the time series.  Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and are rounded to the nearest five.  Source: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record

Higher Education: Disadvantaged

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people in  (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and  (b) the London borough of Bexley in receipt of free school meals started a higher education course in each of the last five years.

David Willetts: The latest available information on the numbers of maintained school pupils in Bexley local authority area who were in receipt of free school meals aged 15 and progressed to higher education by age 19 is shown in the following table.
	Information is not available at constituency level.
	
		
			  Estimates of the numbers of 15-year-old pupils at maintained schools in Bexley local authority area who were in receipt of free school meals in 2001/02, 2002/03 and 2003/04 and progressed to HE( 1)  by age 19 in 2005/06, 2006/07 and 2007/08 
			  Academic year  Number of pupils who were in receipt of FSM  aged  15  Number progressing to HE by age 19 
			 2005/06 330 50 
			 2006/07 335 40 
			 2007/08 275 50 
			 FSM = Free School Meals HE = Higher Education (1) Covers pupils who progress to higher education courses at English higher education institutions and further education colleges.  Note: Figures in the table are rounded to the nearest five.  Source: Matched data from the National Pupil Database, the Higher Education Statistics Agency Student Record and the Individualised Learner Record.

Higher Education: Finance

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding he expects to be provided for higher education institutions through  (a) student fees,  (b) Higher Education Funding Council for England T-grant and  (c) other routes for (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13.

David Willetts: holding answer 17 November 2010
	Planned funding for tuition fee loans for English domiciled students to institutions in 2010-11 is £2,654 million. This figure is expressed in cash terms. This is not the same as the cost to Government which is measured in resource terms to cover the lifetime cost of the loan.
	The Higher Education Funding Council for England's (HEFCE) teaching grant in 2010-11 is £5,107 million. In addition institutions will receive from HEFCE £1,785 million in funding for research. Institutions are also significant beneficiaries of the £3,917 million Science budget.
	Figures for next year have not yet been finalised.

Higher Education: Finance

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of funded higher education places available in each year of the comprehensive spending review; and what methodology he plans to use to determine  (a) the number of funded higher education places and  (b) the allocation of such places between institutions in (i) 2012-13, (ii) 2013-14 and (iii) 2014-15.

David Willetts: holding answer 17 November 2010
	The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) will determine the number of funded places available and the allocation to each institution in the context of the funding and priorities set for them by the Department, which will be announced for each year in due course.

Higher Education: Finance

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to introduce changes to his Department's funding for university courses in foreign languages as a result of the proposed reforms to higher education funding.

David Willetts: holding answer 18 November 2010
	 We will set out our proposals for the funding of priority subjects, including modern foreign languages in the forthcoming Higher Education White Paper.

Higher Education: Oxfordshire

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the proportion of young people resident in Oxford West and Abingdon constituency who have entered higher education since 2000.

David Willetts: Figures relating to the proportion of young people resident in Oxford West and Abingdon who continued to higher education (HE) are not available. As an alternative, the available information on the proportion of 15-years-old from maintained schools in Oxfordshire local authority who progressed to HE by age 19 is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Estimates of the proportion of 15-year-olds in 2001/02, 2002/03 and 2003/04 from maintained schools in Oxfordshire local authority area who progressed to HE( 1)  by age 19 in 2005/06, 2006/07 and 2007/08 
			  Academic year  % who progressed to HE by age 19 
			 2005/06 31 
			 2006/07 32 
			 2007/08 30 
			 (1) Includes those who progress to Higher Education courses at English Further Education Colleges.  Source: Matched data from the National Pupil Database, the Higher Education Statistics Agency Student Record and the Individualised Learner Record.

Innovation: Finance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the average annual budget of each technology innovation centre in each year of the Comprehensive Spending Review period.

David Willetts: Technology Strategy Board analysis and the Hauser review suggest that individual technology and innovation centres would require between £5 million and £10 million per annum.

Innovation: Finance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the average start-up cost of a technology innovation centre.

David Willetts: Funding for the network of elite technology and innovation centres will further develop existing regional development agency funded centres which are excellent, and establish a limited number of new centres.
	Start-up costs for existing centres will be negligible as they have already benefited from funding for infrastructure and equipment. Start-up costs for new centres will depend on the technology area on which they are focused, and will be assessed by the Technology Strategy Board in the context of its overall programme of work and objectives for the area of work.

Mobile Phones: Health Hazards

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department issues guidance on the safety of  (a) handheld mobile telephones and  (b) mobile telephone masts in respect of radiation.

Edward Vaizey: Advice on the availability of specific absorption rates (SAR) values from mobile phones was given in the May 2000 report from the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones (Stewart Report) and an update was given in the Mobile Phones and Health 2004 Report from the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB), now merged into the Health Protection Agency. In addition, the UK's four Mobile Network Operators, namely Everything Everywhere (Orange, T-Mobile), 3UK, O2 and Vodafone, have resources within their customer service departments to provide information and advice to users regarding SAR values on handsets. Information about SAR values is available on manufacturers' websites and also on the MMF website
	www.mmfai.org
	In 2001, International guidelines were adapted for mobile telephones (RF) technologies by industry, government and the then NRPB's Radiation Protection Division (HPA-RPD). Mobile phones and masts are designed to comply with the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). The series of more than 500 measurements made by the regulator Ofcom (and its predecessor the Radiocommunications Agency) has consistently shown the public exposure around base stations to be well below the guideline levels. This measurement service is available free of charge on the request to Ofcom and the measurements to date are posted on its website
	www.ofcom.org.uk

Royal Mail

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effects on Royal Mail  (a) of regulatory requirements to carry the mail of its commercial competitors and  (b) the restrictions on the price applied.

Edward Davey: This is a matter for the independent regulator, Postcomm, who have direct responsibility for regulating the postal services market.
	I have therefore asked the chief executive of Postcomm, Tim Brown, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	A copy of Postcomm's reply will be placed in the House of Commons Library in due course.

Royal Mail

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effects of regulatory requirements to give advanced notification to commercial competitors on future business changes in Royal Mail.

Edward Davey: This is a matter for the independent regulator, Postcomm, who have direct responsibility for regulating the postal services market.
	I have therefore asked the chief executive of Postcomm, Tim Brown, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	A copy of Postcomm's reply will be placed in the House of Commons Library in due course.

Students: Fees and Charges

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the increase in the cap on tuition fees in 2012 will apply to students applying in 2010-11 for deferred entry to higher education in 2012; and whether he plans to provide transitional support to universities who choose to charge lower fees to such students.

David Willetts: holding answer 12 November 2010
	The new tuition charges we are proposing for the 2012/13 academic year will apply to all students starting university in that year, including those applying to go to university in 2011/12 who have deferred entry until 2012/13. Universities have been advised to ask students already holding offers for 2012/13 if they wish to be considered for entry in 2011/12.
	The institutional funding arrangements that will apply to students entering higher education for the first time in 2012/13 will also cover students who have deferred entry until 2012/13. It is for the Higher Education Funding Council for England to determine grant allocations to individual institutions.

Students: Fees and Charges

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will assess the merits of a system of forgivable loans for medical students as an alternative to a requirement to pay tuition fees at an increased level.

David Willetts: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 16 November 2010,  Official Report, column 750W.

Students: Fees and Charges

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to encourage young people from low income inner-city families to attend university; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: The Government have set out plans to reform higher education student finance in England which will offer a more generous package of financial support for low income students living in England wishing to attend university in 2012/13. No full-time student will need to contribute to their tuition costs up-front and students from families with incomes of £25,000 or less will be entitled to a more generous full maintenance grant of £3,250 a year. Students starting part-time courses in 2012/13 will be entitled to an up-front loan to meet their tuition costs so long as they are studying at an intensity of at least 33% of a full time course.
	Universities or colleges wishing to charge students more than £6,000 a year, up to a ceiling of £9,000, will be expected to draw up an access agreement with the Office for Fair Access in order to widen participation in higher education. In addition, a new £150 million National Scholarships programme will guarantee bright potential students from poor backgrounds extra support to help them meet the costs of going to university.
	The Government are also introducing a more progressive repayment structure. Students will only be expected to contribute when they have completed their learning and are earning over £21,000. Repayments will be 9% of income above £21,000 and all outstanding repayments will be written off after 30 years. The result will be that around a quarter of graduates on the lowest incomes will pay less than they would under the current system.

Students: Finance

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the average  (a) student debt and  (b) repayment period for student loans following the implementation of his proposed changes to student funding.

David Willetts: The exact levels of debt resulting from these changes will depend on how students and institutions respond to the Government's response to the Browne review on Higher Education Funding.
	The repayment period will depend on the size of the debt.

Students: Finance

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding arrangements will apply to a student applying for university in 2010 for a deferred place in 2012.

David Willetts: holding answer 12 November 2010
	 The new funding arrangements we are proposing from the 2012/13 academic year would apply to all students taking up their place in 2012/13, including those who have deferred.
	Students starting their courses in 2012/13 will be able to access up-front loans to meet their tuition costs and students from families with incomes of £25,000 or less will be entitled to a more generous full maintenance grant of £3,250 a year; those from families with incomes up to around £42,000 will be entitled to a partial grant. There will also be increases in maintenance loans which will mean that most students should have more support for living costs than they do now.
	The Government have been working alongside UCAS, Universities UK and SPA (Supporting Professionalism in Admissions) to ensure that all students who have applied for deferred entry in 2012/13 or are thinking about doing so, know how these changes will affect them. Higher education institutions have been advised to ask students already holding offers for 2012/13 if they wish to be considered for entry in 2011/12 rather than 2012/13.

Students: Loans

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the main real interest rate on student loans for new students from 2012-13 will be  (a) fixed at 2.2 per cent.,  (b) tied to the Treasury discount rate and  (c) variable for any other reason.

David Willetts: We will introduce a real interest rate on a progressive taper. For graduates earning less than £21,000, the real interest rate will remain at zero. For graduates earning between £21,000 and about £41,000, a real rate of interest will be tapered in to reach a maximum of inflation plus 3%. When graduates are earning more than £41,000, they will be making a full contribution to the costs of the system, but still incurring interest well below normal commercial rates. This will be subject to parliamentary approval.

UK Trade and Investment

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of UK Trade and Investment in the latest period for which figures are available; and how much of that cost was recovered in fees in that period.

Mark Prisk: UK Trade and Investment's 2009-10 Resource Accounts (which were published on 22 July reference No. HC 3) report total resource expenditure of £356.4 million and recoverable income of £6.0 million, of which £4.7 million relates to fees and charges.

Yorkshire Forward: Assets

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the future of the assets owned by Yorkshire Forward in Bradford following the closure of that agency.

Mark Prisk: Where assets and liabilities belonging to a regional development agency are not disposed of, either locally or nationally, prior to its abolition, the likelihood is that they will transfer to a residuary body which will continue the process. The form, status or functions that residuary body might have are being considered as part of the closure preparations.

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Cheshire, Halton and Warrington Racial Equality Centre: Finance

Graham Evans: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities whether her Department has provided funding for the Cheshire, Halton and Warrington Racial Equality Centre since its creation.

Lynne Featherstone: The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is an arm's length body; the following is based on information it has provided.
	Between the financial year 2007-08, during which the EHRC was formed, to 17 November 2010 inclusive, Cheshire, Halton and Warrington Racial Equality Centre has received grants payments totalling £100,470 from the EHRC.

Departmental Conferences

Priti Patel: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how much the Government Equalities Office spent under each budget heading on its stakeholder conference held in March 2010.

Lynne Featherstone: The Government Equalities Office spent a total of £34,535 on its stakeholder conference. 119 people attended as part of the Government's engagement with partners from across business, the voluntary and public sectors to explain the Equality Bill (now the Equality Act 2010) and to help shape future priorities for action.
	The costs were allocated as follows:
	
		
			  Budget category  Amount (£) 
			 Conference set up charges 11,262 
			 Meeting room hire 2,500 
			 Day delegate rate 13,800 
			 Equipment hire 6,973 
			 Total 34,535

Government Equalities Office: Finance

Priti Patel: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what grants of what monetary value the Government Equalities Office has allocated to each organisation in each of the last five years; and how much it plans to allocate in each such grant to each organisation for each of the next five years.

Lynne Featherstone: Since its creation on 12 October 2007 the Government Equalities Office has issued grants to the following organisations:
	
		
			  Grant recipient  Amount (£) 
			  2007-08( 1)  
			 British Association for Adoption and Fostering 30,825 
			   
			  2008-09  
			 East Riding of Yorkshire Council 36,074 
			 Ethnic Minority Foundation 6,000 
			 London School of Economics 220,000 
			 Rape Crisis England and Wales 128,000 
			 Survivors Trust 153,350 
			   
			  2009-10  
			 Civil Service Rainbow Alliance 45,000 
			 British Association for Adoption and Fostering 13,450 
			 Equality South West 41,417 
			 London School of Economics 120,000 
			 Rape Crisis England and Wales 1,085,000 
			   
			  2010-11  
			 East Riding of Yorkshire Council 6,574 
			 Equality South West 41,550 
			 London School of Economics 91,053 
			 (1) From 12 October 2007 
		
	
	No plans have yet been made for any future allocation for grant funding.

Institute for Fiscal Studies

Robert Halfon: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how much the Government Equalities Office spent on services provided by the Institute for Fiscal Studies in each year since its creation.

Lynne Featherstone: The Government Equalities Office (GEO) was created on 12 October 2007. GEO spent £1,600 on services provided by the Institute for Fiscal Studies in 2009 and £60 in 2010.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Protect Employees in the Workplace

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what mechanisms are in place to ensure that the Health and Safety Executive has adequate resources to enforce legislation to protect employees in the workplace.

Chris Grayling: Ensuring good health and safety in the workplace remains vitally important. In the current economic climate, it is appropriate both that HSE should deliver its fair share of the required savings, and that those businesses who create health and safety risks should share more of the cost. Equally, it is important that burdens on low-risk businesses are reduced. We shall be working with HSE to develop such mechanisms over the coming months. It remains for HSE to decide what interventions-including enforcement-will best deliver its policy and operational objectives.

Access to Work Programme

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications were  (a) made and  (b) approved in respect of grants under the Access to Work scheme in 2009-10; and what the monetary value was of such grants made (i) in 2009-10 and (ii) in the period from 1 April to 31 September 2010.

Maria Miller: 24,340 individuals were helped through Access to Work between April 2010 and June 2010. Information on the number of people helped up to 31 September is not yet available. This information is from the Access to Work Official Statistics, available on the Office for National Statistics Hub. I have also arranged to place a copy in the House of Commons Library. We estimate that more people will be helped in 2010-11 than in the previous year.
	Spend figures for directly delivered programmes such as Access to Work are subject to in-year review and adjustment so information on spend in the 2010-11 financial year will not be available until after the end of the financial year.

Access to Work Programme

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the savings likely to be made by restrictions on grants under the Access to Work scheme in  (a) 2010-11 and  (b) 2011-12.

Maria Miller: Access to Work has the objective of helping disabled people take up or retain paid work, by helping to meet the extra costs faced by disabled people or their employers beyond what is reasonable for the employer to meet. There have not been any restrictions on grants that disabled people are awarded against this objective.

Access to Work Programme

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has made an assessment of the effects on disabled people seeking employment of recent changes to the operation of the Access to Work scheme.

Maria Miller: Access to Work has the objective of helping disabled people take up or retain paid work, by helping to meet the extra costs faced by disabled people or their employers beyond what is reasonable for the employer to meet. There have not been any changes made which would impede the delivery of this objective.

Access to Work Programme

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when changes to be proposed to the Access to Work scheme were agreed; and what consultation his Department undertook with  (a) users,  (b) businesses and (c) disability groups on those proposed changes.

Maria Miller: Changes to the Access to Work programme made by the previous Government are designed to improve take-up among under-represented groups, including people working for small employers, people with mental health conditions and people with learning difficulties. In February 2010 Access to Work officials held a series of focus groups across the country with a number of key external stakeholders, including disability charities, business groups and ethnic minority groups with regard to plans to refocus the Access to Work programme. All parties in attendance valued the service that Access to Work provides but agreed that the programme should be more flexible, and more available to those who are in need of most help and that larger employers could contribute more. These changes were announced in the White Paper 'Building Britain's Recovery' published in December 2009.
	The operation of Access to Work is kept under regular review to ensure that the programme is delivered effectively. Access to Work guidance has for many years specified that funding cannot be provided for standard equipment that an employer would need to provide for any employee to do their job. We have in the past allowed Access to Work advisers to form local judgments about what should be regarded as standard equipment and this has led to inconsistent decisions. A revised list of equipment has therefore been included in the Access to Work guidance in order to assist advisers in making operational decisions on each case under consideration for funding and ensure consistency across the country. This list will be updated from time to time to ensure it reflects latest developments. The list of examples provided is not exhaustive and advisers have the discretion to identify other types of equipment as standard for a particular industry or occupation.
	The coalition agreement set out our commitment to Access to Work, including plans to reform the programme so disabled people can apply for jobs with funding already secured for any adaptations and equipment they will need and I expect to make an announcement about this shortly.

Access to Work Programme

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what equipment his Department  (a) classifies as standard provision and  (b) expects employers to fund under the Access to Work scheme since 1 October 2010.

Maria Miller: Access to Work guidance has for many years specified that funding cannot be provided for standard equipment that an employer would need to provide for any employee to fulfil their legal obligations. We have in the past allowed Access to Work advisers to form local judgments about what should be regarded as standard equipment and this has led to inconsistent decisions. A revised list of equipment has therefore been included in the Access to Work guidance in order to assist advisers in making operational decisions on each case under consideration for funding and ensure consistency across the country. This list will be updated from time to time to ensure it reflects latest developments. The list of examples provided is not exhaustive and advisers have the discretion to identify other types of equipment as standard for a particular industry or occupation.

Access to Work Programme

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what internal guidance his Department is using on the operation from 1 October 2010 of the Access to Work scheme.

Maria Miller: Jobcentre Plus provides guidance to staff on the operation of the Access to Work programme and this is updated regularly. Access to Work funds employment support that is over and above that which a business is legally obliged to put in place under 'reasonable adjustments'. Jobcentre Plus are happy to issue a copy of the full Access to Work guidance to anyone who requests it. I have made arrangements to place the latest version of the guidance in the House of Commons Library.

Access to Work Programme

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 11 November 2010,  Official Report, column 422W, on Access to Work programme, which areas of the Access to Work programme are under review; which are likely to be subject to reform; which are likely to be subject to restrictions; what instructions his Department has given to staff of the programme in relation to the availability of Access to Work  (a) funds and  (b) facilities since 1 October 2010; and if he will make a statement

Maria Miller: The Government are committed to ensuring disabled people are given the support they need to get a job and remain in employment. We will continue to review welfare to work programmes to ensure the support they provide remains appropriate, effective and value for money.
	In line with the coalition agreement we are committed to Access to Work and including plans to reform the programme so disabled people can apply for jobs with funding already secured for any adaptations and equipment they will need. In line with the previous Government's decisions there are also changes in place which support disabled people working for smaller employers, to ensure Access to Work is as efficient and effective as possible.
	Jobcentre Plus provides detailed guidance to staff on the operation of the Access to Work programme and this is updated regularly to ensure it reflects the statutory obligations on businesses. Access to Work can only provide support over and above employers' legal obligations to provide reasonable adjustments. I have made arrangements to place the latest version of the guidance in the House of Commons Library.

Children: Maintenance

Anne Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when his Department expects to publish a target for the collection of child maintenance arrears by the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.

Maria Miller: The Government are currently considering the role that the child maintenance system can play in their overall commitment to support shared parenting and promote parental responsibility. In this context, and that of the spending review, the Department are in discussion with the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission about a strategy for the collection of arrears, including options for an in-year target.

Housing Benefit

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions under what criteria the additional discretionary housing funding will be allocated to local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: We are discussing the 2011-12 allocation of the additional discretionary housing payment funding with the local authority associations. Our discussions will be informed by our detailed analysis of the impact of the changes to local housing allowance rates which we published on 23 July 2010. A copy of that document-'Impacts of Housing Benefit proposals: Changes to the Local Housing Allowance to be introduced in 2011-12'-has been placed in the Library.
	The Department for Communities and Local Government has provided an additional £10 million homelessness prevention funding. This has been paid to London local authorities this month. Allocations were based on this Department's analysis of the impacts of the local housing allowance caps within individual London boroughs which is contained in the document mentioned above.

Housing Benefit: Brighton

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will estimate the number of householders in receipt of housing benefit who will have to vacate their home as a result of the planned cap on local housing allowance in  (a) Brighton Pavilion constituency,  (b) Brighton and Hove unitary authority and  (c) nationally, if the level of rents remains unchanged when the cap is implemented;
	(2)  if he will assess the ability of householders in receipt of housing benefit who move to less expensive properties when the planned cap on local housing allowance is introduced to afford the train travel to their place of work following the rise in the regulated cap on rail fares from 2012.

Steve Webb: The information required to carry out these assessments is not available.
	On 23 July the Department published a document on "Impacts of Housing Benefit proposals: Changes to the Local Housing Allowance to be introduced in 2011-12". This included estimates of the number of losers and average losses per week for each local authority and each bedroom entitlement category. A copy of the document has been placed in the Library.

Housing Benefit: Rossendale and Darwen

Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid in housing benefit to individuals in Rossendale and Darwen constituency for a  (a) one bedroom,  (b) two bedroom, (c) three bedroom and  (d) four bedroom property in each year since 1996-97.

Steve Webb: The information requested is not available.
	Housing benefit expenditure is available for the two local authorities covering the constituency, Rossendale, and Blackburn with Darwen, and is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Housing benefit expenditure for Rossendale, and Blackburn with Darwen local authorities 
			  £ million 
			   Rossendale  Blackburn with Darwen 
			 1996-97 10.8 31.2 
			 1997-98 10.4 32.3 
			 1998-99 10.6 33.2 
			 1999-2000 10.7 33.5 
			 2000-01 10.6 33.9 
			 2001-02 10.7 34.3 
			 2002-03 11.4 37.8 
			 2003-04 11.2 37.0 
			 2004-05 11.4 36.7 
			 2005-06 11.6 37.6 
			 2006-07 11.7 39.1 
			 2007-08 13.7 42.3 
			 2008-09 14.0 43.5 
			 2009-10 16.3 49.3 
			  Note: All figures are consistent with housing benefit expenditure information published on the internet at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/h_tables_budget2010.xls  Source: Local Authority Subsidy returns

Maternity Payments: Adoption

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations he has received on extending maternity allowance to adoptive parents; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Miller: I have received no other representations on extending maternity allowance to adoptive parents.
	Statutory adoption pay enables adopters to take a period of leave from work when a new child joins the family. It is paid by employers to employees who satisfy qualifying conditions based on length of employment and a minimum level of earnings. There are around 4,000 adoptions each year and only a very small number do not qualify. Local authorities can consider making payments equivalent to maternity allowance for adopters who are ineligible for statutory adoption pay. Because of this it is not economic to create a specific allowance within the benefit system for this small group.

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many disabled people will no longer receive contributory employment and support allowance (ESA) annually as a result of his decision to limit to one year the period for which contributory ESA may be paid.

Maria Miller: The requested information will be available on 29 November 2010 alongside the autumn statement and will be deposited in the Library.
	Claimants in the work-related activity group who stop receiving contributory employment and support allowance after 12 months will be able to claim income-related employment and support allowance if eligible. we estimate that 60% will be able to claim some income-related employment and support allowance once their contributory entitlement has ended. There will always be a safety net to support those who have no means of supporting themselves.

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effects of the introduction of fortnightly benefit payments of disability living allowance and incapacity benefit on the propensity of claimants to take out high interest loans; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Miller: We have not made an assessment of any effects that the introduction of fortnightly benefit payments of disability living allowance and incapacity benefit may have had on the propensity of claimants to take out high interest loans.
	Paying benefit fortnightly is intended to give customers more personal responsibility for their finances. Fortnightly payments more closely mirror monthly salary payments than weekly payments, and align better with utility bills, which are generally paid monthly. Fortnightly payments also help to simplify customers' movement between different benefits, as jobseeker's allowance is paid fortnightly.
	Customers can receive weekly payments in exceptional circumstances-if the customer has a mental health condition and has found it difficult to budget on a fortnightly basis, for example, or if they have had debt counselling to help them manage significant financial problems. However, weekly payments are generally intended to be on a temporary basis, and most customers should be helped to move towards fortnightly payments.

Social Security Benefits: Prisoners

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what mechanisms are in place to ensure that those released from jail can promptly obtain jobseeker's allowance or employment support allowance payments.

Chris Grayling: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Darra Singh. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Darra Singh:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what mechanisms are in place to ensure those released from prison can obtain benefits promptly. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Jobcentre Plus has a network of Employment and Benefit Advisers who are based in all of the prisons where the service is needed. As well as supporting customers in identifying and preparing for employment opportunities, they also ensure that before their release, customers receive up to date information about the benefits to which they may be entitled.
	In addition to this, all prisoners due to be released who wish to claim Jobseeker's Allowance are able to use the Freshstart process. Freshstart involves pre-arranging a New Jobseeker Interview to claim Jobseeker's Allowance at the prisoner's home Jobcentre Plus office for as soon as possible after they are released. The customer normally has an appointment with a Jobcentre Plus Adviser within three days of leaving prison. This process helps to speed up the receipt of benefit and aims to ensure that the offender engages with the Jobcentre at the earliest opportunity to allow them to gain appropriate support.
	Offenders who wish to claim Employment and Support Allowance, are signposted by the Employment and Benefit Adviser to the office of their choice. It is important to note that unlike Jobseeker's Allowance, other benefits do not normally require a face to face interview before benefit can be paid.
	In addition, those serving shorter term sentences can also take advantage of the Rapid Reclaim Process. This service is available if a prisoner reclaims benefits within 26 weeks of their last claim and their circumstances have not changed. This process is simpler and shorter.

State Retirement Pensions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of state pension provision in each year from 2009-10 to 2020-21; what proportion of this cost is attributable to each category of state pension provision in each such year; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: The available information is in the table:
	
		
			  State pension expenditure, Great Britain and overseas 
			  £ million (cash terms) 
			  Financial year  2009-10  2010-11  2011-12  2012-13  2013-14  2014-15  2015-16 
			 Basic state pension 51,370 53,520 56,620 59,010 61,380 64,570 68,090 
			 of which category A 33,300 35,320 38,010 40,400 42,750 45,680 48,910 
			 of which category AB 7,710 7,970 8,320 8,490 8,680 8,990 9,350 
			 of which category ABL 3,330 3,350 3,410 3,410 3,400 3,410 3,430 
			 of which category B 4,510 4,400 4,390 4,300 4,220 4,220 4,240 
			 of which category BL 2,450 2,400 2,390 2,320 2,230 2,170 2,100 
			 of which category D 80 80 90 100 100 110 120 
			 Additional pension 12,700 13,100 14,150 15,090 15,890 16,670 17,570 
			 of which state earnings related pension scheme (SERPS) 11,660 11,830 12,580 13,200 13,680 14,130 14,650 
			 of which state second pension (S2P) 1,040 1,280 1,570 1,890 2,210 2,540 2,920 
			 Graduated retirement benefit 1,820 1,850 1,960 2,060 2,130 2,200 2,260 
			 Increments to basic state pension and graduated retirement benefit 430 420 430 430 420 430 430 
			 Lump sum deferral 500 590 590 600 630 650 670 
			 Adult dependency increases 90 80 60 50 40 30 20 
			 Child dependency increases 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Invalidity allowance 70 70 70 80 80 80 90 
			 Age addition 30 30 40 40 40 40 40 
			 Adjustments -110 -100 -100 -100 -90 -90 -80 
			 Total state pension 66,900 69,560 73,820 77,260 80,520 84,580 89,150 
			  Notes 1. Figures are given in cash terms and rounded to the nearest £10 million. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 2. Figures after 2015-16 are not available. 3. Annual expenditure on child dependency increases is less than £5 million. 4. Lump sum deferral expenditure refers to payments made to individuals claiming a deferred state pension, and relates to all elements of state pension. 5. Increments to additional pension are included under total additional pension expenditure. 6. Basic state pension expenditure includes non-contributory retirement pension. 7. Category D covers total basic state pension paid to anyone receiving some non- contributory retirement pension. 8. Adjustments cover small additional payments or reductions that occur during the year, including recovery of overpayments. 9. Additional pension includes state second pension (S2P) and state earnings related pension scheme (SERPS) expenditure.  Source: DWP accounting and statistical data, and June 2010 Budget forecasts

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Pakistan: Overseas Aid

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's humanitarian aid to Pakistan; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Mitchell: Humanitarian programmes funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) in Pakistan are continually assessed by humanitarian advisers working for DFID to ensure that they remain appropriate, deliver results and are value for money. Fuller internal reviews are scheduled to take place in 2011. To date UK aid has helped approximately 900,000 people access health care services, 620,000 people access clean drinking water and 420,000 people benefit from shelter kits. More details of the UK's humanitarian aid can be found on the Floods Monitor on DFID's website:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Where-we-work/Asia-South/Pakistan/Pakistan-Floods-Monitor/
	In parallel, I have launched an independent review of the way the UK responds to humanitarian emergencies, chaired by Lord Ashdown, which will consider the Government's response to the floods in Pakistan as a case study.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Animal Experiments

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many regulated procedures were carried out on animals under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 to test the potency of botulinum toxin in 2009.

Lynne Featherstone: Information is not available on how many regulated procedures were carried out on animals in 2009 under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 to test the potency of botulinum toxin. Figures for numbers of procedures involving pharmaceutical safety/efficacy testing are included in table 9 of "Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals Great Britain 2009". It is not possible from the format of the data returns collected for statistical purposes to identify the number of procedures used in testing a particular substance or product.
	The annual publication "Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals Great Britain 2009" was published on 27 July 2010, and is available via the Library of the House and on the Department's website at:
	http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/scientific1.html

Animal Experiments

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what strategy her Department plans to adopt to reduce the number of animals used in experiments.

Lynne Featherstone: We are currently developing a strategy to deliver the coalition commitment to work to reduce the use of animals in scientific research and will announce our plans in due course. We will be looking for genuine reductions which improve animal welfare.

Animal Experiments: Botulinum Toxin

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the practice of using death as an experimental end point in relation to the use of mice for the potency testing of botulinum toxin in projects licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

Lynne Featherstone: The Home Office does not authorise death as the experimental endpoint in the botulinum toxin potency assay. The authorised humane endpoint is appropriate observation and intervention by use of humane euthanasia to limit animal suffering.

Animal Experiments: Primates

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-human primates imported into the UK and recorded as F1 generation were from Mauritius in  (a) 2009 and  (b) 2010.

Lynne Featherstone: From the information available we estimate that of the non-human primates imported into the United Kingdom during 2009 and 2010 for scientific research, 1,139 and 970 respectively were F1 generation from Mauritius.

Animal Experiments: Primates

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has plans to review the suitability of non-human primate companies in Mauritius that are designated as breeding and supply establishments to supply non-human primates to the UK for the purposes of scientific research.

Lynne Featherstone: Overseas centres supplying non-human primates to the United Kingdom for the purposes of scientific research are appraised by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate initially when identified as potential new sources of primates by United Kingdom users seeking to acquire animals. Once deemed acceptable, the status of overseas centres is subject to periodic review, typically every two years.
	The two Mauritian centres which have supplied animals to the United Kingdom in the past two years are next due for review by 31 January 2011 and 31 August 2011.

Asylum: Deportation

David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers there were in  (a) 2008,  (b) 2009 and  (c) 2010; and how many have subsequently been deported.

Damian Green: We have interpreted the first question to mean the number of asylum applications in 2008, 2009 and 2010 who were refused asylum, humanitarian protection or discretionary leave.
	We have interpreted the second question to mean the number of asylum claimants in 2008, 2009 and 2010 that was subsequently removed.
	Published data are not available for 2010. However figures for 2008 and 2009 can be found in Control of Immigration: United Kingdom 2009 which is available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate web site at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html

Asylum: Glasgow

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effects of asylum seekers moving from Glasgow city council accommodation on requirements for individuals to report at reporting centres or police stations.

Damian Green: We are very hopeful that the vast majority of service users will be able to remain in their current accommodation. Where this is not possible accommodation will be sourced by alternative providers operating in Glasgow and they will take into account the need for service users to be within a reasonable distance of a reporting centre.

Asylum: Glasgow

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the value was of the UK Border Agency's housing contract with Glasgow city council; and what the value is of contracts with the replacement suppliers.

Damian Green: The current estimated annual value of the contract held with Glasgow city council is £8.610 million. The estimated current annual values for Glasgow YMCA and Angel Group (Scotland) are for £6.516 million and £2.706 million respectively. The value of the YMCA and Angel Group contracts will increase as and when the Glasgow CC service users transfer to one or both providers but we cannot estimate what the future contract values will be at the present time. The additional costs paid to Glasgow YMCA and/or the Angel Group will be significantly less than the current expenditure to Glasgow city council.

Asylum: Glasgow

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the minimum notice period will be for asylum seekers being moved from accommodation with Glasgow City Council; and whether tenants will have any right of appeal.

Damian Green: The intention is to give any affected asylum seekers who need to move accommodation minimum notice of between three and five months. However, given the common use of Glasgow Housing Association by both Glasgow city council and YMCA the UK Border Agency hope that the numbers who have to move property will be minimal. Where a move has to take place accommodation is provided on a no choice basis and there is no right of appeal, just as it is on initial dispersal.

Asylum: Social Services

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will publish her Department's assessment of the cost effectiveness and quality of social care services provided by Glasgow city council in respect of asylum seekers based in the city of Glasgow; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: There is no assessment with regards to the quality of social care services provided by Glasgow city council in respect of asylum seekers based in the city of Glasgow. The Secretary of State has no plans to make a statement.

Criminal Records Bureau: Scout Association

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what recent discussions she has had with the Scout Association on the introduction of charges for Criminal Records Bureau checks; and if she will make a statement; [R]
	(2)  if she will meet representatives of the Scout Association to discuss the introduction of charges for Criminal Records Bureau checks; and if she will make a statement; [R]
	(3)  what recent representations she has received from  (a) hon. Members,  (b) Members of the House of Lords and  (c) members of the public on the introduction of charges for Criminal Records Bureau checks for members of the Scout Association; what response she provided; and if she will make a statement; [R]
	(4)  if she will reverse her decision to introduce charges for Criminal Records Bureau checks for members of the Scout Association; and if she will make a statement; [R]
	(5)  if she will estimate the likely annual cost to the Scout Association of the payment of charges for Criminal Records Bureau checks; and if she will make a statement. [R]

Lynne Featherstone: The Home Office wrote to representatives of the Scout Association earlier in November on the issue of charging volunteers for Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks and confirmed that while the ongoing review of the criminal records regime may have an impact on the requirements to undertake CRB checks, the terms of reference will not review the provision of free disclosure certificates for volunteers. The Government remain committed to reducing the barriers to volunteering and free disclosure certificates for volunteers remain Government policy.
	There are no plans for Ministers to meet with representatives of the Scout Association at the present time.

Human Trafficking

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average length of sentence given to a person originally charged with offences related to human trafficking and subsequently prosecuted for a lesser charge was in each of the last five years.

Damian Green: holding answer 4 November 2010
	The following figures are provided by the UK Human Trafficking Centre's analysis of the Police National Computer as at 31 August 2010. The averages include consecutive sentences but do not include concurrent and suspended sentences. The figures relate to year of conviction.
	 Trafficking for  Forced L abour (including conspiracy to traffic)
	2006-0
	2007-Two years
	2008-Two years seven months
	2009-Two years
	2010-Three years
	 Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation (including in some cases additional offences)
	2006-Seven years seven months
	2007-Four years three months
	2008-Four years nine months
	2009-Five years seven months
	2010-Four years

Immigrants: Children

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children were detained for immigration purposes  (a) on each of the last 14 days for which figures are available,  (b) in each of the last 12 weeks,  (c) in each of the last 12 months and  (d) in each of the last five years.

Damian Green: The requested information is not available as figures on persons entering detention have been published only since the beginning of 2009. The following tables show the number of children who entered detention each month, solely under Immigration Act powers, between January 2009 and June 2010.
	Statistics published in the Quarter 2 Control of Immigration publication state that at 30 June 2010 there were five children detained solely under Immigration Act powers. The figure in the publication is rounded to the nearest five to preserve data confidentiality and so represents a number between three and seven.
	Information on children detained solely under Immigration Act powers are available in the Control of Immigration: Quarterly Statistical Summary, United Kingdom, April-June 2010 in the Library of the House and the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html
	The next quarterly publication will be released on 25 November 2010 which will show the number of children, detained solely under Immigration Act powers, at 30 September 2010.
	
		
			  Children entering detention( 1,2,5)  held solely under Immigration Act powers, by place of initial detention, by month, (excluding Harwich), January 2009 to June 2010( 3,4) 
			  Number of children 
			   2009 
			  Place of initial detention  Jan  Feb  Mar  Apr  May  Jun  Jul  Aug  Sep  Oct  Nov  Dec  Total 
			 Yarl's Wood 90 55 10 45 40 60 75 60 65 65 75 60 695 
			 Tinsley House 15 5 15 25 25 15 40 20 20 25 25 5 235 
			 Dungavel 15 5 5 5 10 5 15 10 5 10 15 5 100 
			 Oakington Reception Centre 10 10 5 * * * - - 5 5 * * 35 
			 Campsfield House - * * - - - * * - - - * 5 
			 Haslar - - * - - - * - - - * - 5 
			 Brook House - - - - - * - - - - - - * 
			 Harmondsworth - - - - * - - - - - - * * 
			 Dover Immigration Removal Centre - - - * - - - - - - - - * 
			 Lindholme - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
			   
			  UK Border Agency short term holding facilities  
			 Dover Harbour * 5 5 5 5 * 5 * - 5 - - 30 
			 Colnbrook Short Term - * - - - 5 - * * - - - 10 
			 Pennine House - - - - - - * - - * - - * 
			 Total 135 80 40 80 85 85 135 95 90 105 115 75 1,120 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of children 
			  2010 
			   Jan  Feb  Mar  Apr  May  Jun  Total Jan-Jun 
			 Yarl's Wood 70 55 55 30 20 5 235 
			 Tinsley House 5 10 5 15 10 20 65 
			 Dungavel 5 5 5 - 5 - 20 
			 Oakington Reception Centre 5 - - * 5 - 10 
			 Campsfield House - - * - - - * 
			 Haslar - - - - - - - 
			 Brook House - - - - - - - 
			 Harmondsworth - - - - * - * 
			 Dover Immigration Removal Centre - - - - - - - 
			 Lindholme - - - - - - - 
			  UK Border Agency short term holding facilities
			 Dover Harbour 10 - - - - - 10 
			 Colnbrook Short Term * - - - - - * 
			 Pennine House - - - - - * * 
			 Total 95 70 65 50 40 25 345 
			 (1) Some detainees may be recorded more than once if, for example, the person has been detained on more than one separate occasion in the time period shown, such as a person who has left detention, but has subsequently been re-detained. (2) Figures for children will overstate if any applicants aged 18 or over claim to be younger. (3) Figures rounded to the nearest five (- = 0, * = 1 or 2) and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding. Figures exclude persons recorded as entering Harwich Short Term Holding Facility, police cells and Prison Service establishments, those recorded as detained under both criminal and immigration powers and their dependants. (4) Figures include dependants (5) Management information.

Jimmy Mubenga

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what response she has given to the family of Jimmy Mubenga to the letter delivered to her Department on 12 November 2010; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: holding answer 17 November 2010
	 My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary received a letter on 12 November 2010 from a number of individuals calling for the family of Jimmy Mubenga to be granted indefinite leave to remain and for an inquiry into the process for removing non-compliant detainees from the UK. The contents of the letter are under consideration and a response will be sent to the authors of the letter in due course.
	I am not able to comment on the immigration status of the Mubenga family in public or the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr Mubenga given the investigations which are underway by the police and prisons and probation ombudsman. However, both the UK Border Agency and G4S are co-operating fully with both investigations.

Vetting: Standards

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 1 November 2010,  Official Report, column 499W, on the Criminal Records Bureau, on how many occasions in respect of enhanced disclosures received in 2010 which took over 28 days to process the processing time included time out with customers.

Lynne Featherstone: The following table details the total number and percentage of Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks that were despatched after 28 days for the period 1 January 2010 to 30 September 2010. This table now includes the total number of checks that were out with the customer and the percentage over 28 days that required customer contact.
	
		
			  With customer contact 
			  Form received date  Total enhanced receipts  Despatched after 28 days  % over 28 days  Over 28 days  % over 28 days 
			  2010  
			 January 282,738 98,285 34.8 8,876 9.0 
			 February 352,462 130,406 37.0 11,053 8.5 
			 March 411,374 174,498 42.4 13,043 7.5 
			 April 323,130 127,577 39.5 11,438 9.0 
			 May 345,044 117,253 34.0 12,724 10.9 
			 June 388,810 124,515 32.0 13,369 10.7 
			 July 362,762 115,853 31.9 14,944 12.9 
			 August 259,184 73,406 28.3 8,750 11.9 
			 September 339,617 92,094 27.1 9,629 10.5 
			 Total 2,725,504 1,053,887 38.7 103,826 9.9

Visas

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visas or equivalent were issued in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Damian Green: holding answer 17 November 2010
	Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visas were introduced on 30 June 2008 and replaced the former Business Person visas. The number of such visas issued in each of the five years 2005 to 2010 (January-June) is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Entrepreneur/Business visas issued 
			   Number 
			 2005 42 
			 2006 31 
			 2007 36 
			 2008 92 
			 2009 164 
			 2010 (January to June) 106

Wickham Research Laboratories: Animal Experiments

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 23 June 2010,  Official Report, column 232W, on Wickham Research Laboratories: animal experiments, when she expects to be in a position to  (a) consider the findings of the review and  (b) publish the review.

Lynne Featherstone: I have received the Home Office Inspectorate's review report and I am considering its findings. I expect to announce the outcome of the review and publish the report shortly.

Youth Justice: Greater London

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding her Department has allocated for youth crime provision in London in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and what estimate she made of the amount of such funding allocated in respect of young people aged  (a) 12 years and under,  (b) between 13 and 17 years and  (c) between 18 and 24 years in 2009-10.

James Brokenshire: Between 2008-11, 13 boroughs in London (listed as shown) have received youth crime prevention funding from the Home Office, Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and Department for Education (DfE) under the Youth Crime Action Plan to tackle offending by young people aged under 18. Each of these local authorities received:
	£65,000 in 2008-09,
	£350,000 in 2009-10, and;
	£350,000 in 2010-11
	In 2010-11, the Home Office is separately providing £700,000 allocated between 16 London Community Safety Partnerships (listed as shown) to support them in working to tackle violence committed by and against young people aged 13 to 24.
	The Ministry of Justice has provided the following amounts to London Youth Offending Teams over the last five years:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2009-10 24,428,567 
			 2008-09 23,572,365 
			 2007-08 21,311,756 
			 2006-07 19,983,897 
			 2005-06 17,118,846 
		
	
	These figures include funding from both the Home Office and the Department for Education but cannot be separated out due to disproportionate cost.
	It is not possible to provide separate figures for different age categories of young people beyond the broad distinctions set out above.
	 A. 13 Boroughs who have received Youth Crime Action Plan funding
	Barking and Dagenham
	Camden
	Croydon
	Greenwich
	Hackney
	Hammersmith and Fulham
	Haringey
	Islington
	Lambeth
	Lewisham
	Newham
	Southwark
	Tower Hamlets
	 B. Home Office funding to London Community Safety Partnerships for work to tackle serious youth violence
	Brent
	Enfield
	Hackney
	Haringey
	Islington
	Newham
	Tower Hamlets
	Waltham Forest
	Croydon
	Ealing
	Greenwich
	Lambeth
	Lewisham
	Southwark
	Wandsworth
	Westminster

TREASURY

Foreign Workers

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the level of  (a) income earned,  (b) income tax paid and  (c) benefits claimed by non-EU migrants in the UK in the most recent tax year.

David Gauke: The information is not available as the UK's tax, tax credit and benefit systems do not capture the necessary details of nationality and immigration status.
	Non-EU migrants in the UK are generally not entitled to income-related and non-contributory social security benefits or to the child and working tax credits because they are subject to immigration controls which preclude access to public funds. This follows long-standing Government policy.

Green Investment Bank

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he intends to launch the Green Investment Bank; and what funding will be made available to it.

Mark Prisk: I have been asked to reply.
	Further design and testing work are being undertaken to ensure the Green Investment Bank (GIB) is effective in mobilising additional private sector investment into green infrastructure projects. All decisions on the GIB's business and operating model is subject to the Government's tests of effectiveness, affordability and transparency.

Working Tax Credit

Kate Green: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of tax credit claimants were sent renewal reminder notices in  (a) 2009 and  (b) 2010.

David Gauke: Around 47% of tax credits claimants who were required to make an annual declaration for 2008-09 and renew their claim for 2009-10 were sent a reminder letter. Reminder letters were not issued in 2010 although tax credits customers who are required to make a declaration and renew their claims by the second specified date of 31 January 2011 and have not already done so will be sent reminders in January 2011.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Peace Negotiations

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether it is his policy that an essential step for a negotiated settlement in Afghanistan is that al-Qaeda should not be allowed a presence in the country.

Alistair Burt: President Karzai has made clear that the conditions for a reconciliation process are to renounce violence, respect the Afghan Constitution and cut ties with al-Qaeda. We fully support these conditions and the Afghan-led process.

Aung San Suu Kyi

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had discussions with Aung San Suu Kyi since her release from house arrest.

Jeremy Browne: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister spoke to Aung San Suu Kyi on 15 November to congratulate her on her release and convey the UK's solidarity and support for her stand on democracy and human rights in Burma. Our ambassador in Rangoon has met Aung San Suu Kyi twice since her release, on 14 and 17 November. The UK will continue to listen to her views and discuss with her how we can best support her efforts to promote democracy and respect for human rights in Burma.

BBC

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent meetings  (a) officials and  (b) special advisers in his Department have had with the Director-General of the BBC; and whether pensions were discussed at those meetings.

Jeremy Browne: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs met the Director-General of the British Broadcasting Corporation on 20 October 2010. Officials and special advisers were also present.
	The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the transfer of the funding of the BBC World Service to the licence fee in 2014-15.
	There have been no separate meetings by officials or special advisers with the Director-General of the British Broadcasting Corporation.

Burma: Political Prisoners

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss with the Burmese government the date of the release of the political prisoners held in Burmese prisons.

Jeremy Browne: We remain deeply concerned about the continued imprisonment of over 2,200 political prisoners in Burma. Their immediate release remains one of the international community's long standing demands. The Government have helped to secure tough statements in the UN and from the Group of Eight (G8) and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all prisoners of conscience. We will continue to press the Burmese regime on this issue, to lobby regional countries with influence and to raise the matter in the UN's human rights bodies.

Burma: Thailand

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the  (a) Thai and  (b) Burmese government on migrant workers who have crossed the border into Thailand since the Burmese elections.

Jeremy Browne: We have not received any specific reports of migrant workers crossing the Thai-Burma border since elections on 7 November 2010. Recent reports have concerned refugee flows into Thailand as a result of a resumption of conflict between the Burmese army and ethnic militia in border areas. We understand that the majority of refugees have now returned home.

Cyprus: EU Trade

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the proposed EU regulation for direct trade with the Turkish Cypriot community.

David Lidington: The UK supports improving the economic situation of the Turkish Cypriot community through both financial aid and trade liberalisation. At this stage we encourage both sides to focus on reaching a settlement, which will bring prosperity to all Cypriots.

Departmental Pay

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was paid to officials in his Department and its non-departmental public bodies in bonuses and other payments in addition to salary in each year since 1997; how many officials received such payments; and what the monetary value was of the largest 20 payments made in each such year.

Alistair Burt: For details of payments made in addition to salary I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 18 November 2010,  Official Report, columns 903-04W.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has two types of non-consolidated, variable performance pay schemes, both of which are focussed on rewarding high levels of performance. These types of payment are an integral element of the reward package for staff, have to be re-earned each year and do not add to future pay bill costs (eg pensions).
	The FCO paid a total of £7,457,502 in non-consolidated, variable, performance related pay in 2009-10. This represents 2.6% of the total pay bill for UK based staff. 5,604 staff received a payment. The largest 20 payments were £15,000 (x 1 individual), £14,000 (x 3), £13,000 (x 3), £12,500 (x 25).
	
		
			   Total paid (£)  Recipients 
			 2008-09 7,597,836 4,712 
			 2007-08 6,748,152 4,871 
			 2006-07 6,553,288 6,076 
			 2005-06 5,989,100 5,097 
			 2004-05 5,765,800 5,094 
			 2003-04 5,567,100 - 
			 2002-03 4,027,100 5,085 
			 2001-02 2,771,800 4,753 
		
	
	Details of amounts and number of recipients prior to 2001-02, and the number of recipients in 2003-04 can be obtained only at disproportionate cost as could a breakdown of the 20 largest payments in the years 2001-02 to 2008-09.
	The information for non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Postal Services

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the monetary value was of contracts between his Department and  (a) Post Office Ltd and  (b) Royal Mail in (i) 1997-98 and (ii) each year since 2004-05.

Alistair Burt: Although the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and FCO Services currently use the services of Royal Mail there have been no contracts between the FCO, FCO Services and the Post Office Ltd and Royal Mail for the periods mentioned.

Departmental Reviews

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what departmental policy reviews his Department has undertaken since 6 May 2010; on what date each such review  (a) was announced and  (b) is expected to publish its findings; what estimate he has made of the cost of each such review; who has been appointed to lead each such review; to what remuneration each review leader is entitled; how many (i) full-time equivalent civil servants and (ii) seconded staff are working on each such review; from which organisations such staff have been seconded; and how much on average such seconded staff will be paid for their work on the review.

Alistair Burt: Since 6 May 2010, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has been closely engaged in the cross-Government Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) which will have an important impact on many areas of FCO activity. FCO work in support of the SDSR has taken place within existing resources. In addition to its contribution to this major exercise, the FCO has also conducted or is in the process of conducting the following reviews of specific policies for which it is responsible:
	 a. Review of Government Policy on Private Military and Security Companies (PMSCs)
	After an internal review by Ministers of 16 September announcing the Government's policy on PMSCs. The Minister responsible, the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs the hon. Member for North West Norfolk (Mr Bellingham), undertook this work as part of his normal duties. The review was conducted by three FCO staff already working on PMSC policy, and no additional resource was used to conduct it.
	 b. Review of Overseas Territories Policy
	This is a review occasioned by the change of government, and appears in the FCO's Business Plan that was published on 8 November 2010 with a deadline for completion of July 2011. It is being carried out by five staff in the Overseas Territories Directorate in the FCO, and has so far incurred no additional costs.
	 c. Review of Policy towards the Commonwealth
	The FCO has undertaken this review internally, and completed it in August 2010. The Government expects to make an announcement to Parliament in the near future on the outcome. The review was conducted by three FCO staff already working on Commonwealth policy, and no additional resource was used to conduct it.

European Union

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what additional resources have been allocated to EU institutions by the UK since May 2010; and what powers have been transferred from the UK to the EU since that date.

David Lidington: The UK has transferred no additional resources or powers to the EU since May 2010.

Hamas

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Palestinian Authority counterpart on levels of support for the Hamas political movement within Palestinian society.

Alistair Burt: Our consulate general in Jerusalem is in regular dialogue with the Palestinian Authority on a wide range of issues, including elections and internal political dynamics.

Iran: Human Rights

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations at UN level to establish a monitoring mechanism to report on human rights in Iran to the  (a) General Assembly and  (b) Human Rights Commission.

Alistair Burt: I refer the hon. Member to the response given by the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Taunton Deane (Mr Browne) on 16 November 2010,  Official Report, column 662W.

Iran: Nuclear Power

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the state of the Iranian nuclear programme since September 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We continue to be greatly concerned about Iran's nuclear programme. The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has issued a number of reports on Iran, all making clear that Iran has shown no sign of suspending its enrichment related activities as required by six UN Security Council resolutions. The figures in his September 2010 report showed Iran had produced 2803 kg of low enriched uranium since the start of operations in February 2007, and that Iran had also produced a total of 22 kg of uranium enriched to nearly 20%, a significant step towards weapons grade enrichment.

Iran: Sanctions

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the recently-introduced sanctions against Iran; and if he will make a statement. [R]

Alistair Burt: It is too early for a full assessment. However, early indications are that sanctions and other political pressure are having an impact. We urge Iran to accept our repeated invitation to talks, in order to reach an agreement that satisfies the international community's justified concerns about Iran's nuclear programme.

Iran: Sanctions

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the effectiveness of the Iranian sanctions programme; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: I have discussed Iran with many of my counterparts, including on the importance of using sanctions to get Iran to engage with the EU 3+3 on its nuclear programme. In particular, I have pressed those whose countries have not imposed sanctions as tough as those adopted by the EU to move in that direction.

Iran: Terrorism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of Iranian links with militants in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan since September 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: I refer the hon. Member to my response of 9 November 2010,  Official Report, columns 231-232W.

Iran: Terrorism

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government is taking to prevent weapons from Iran reaching terrorist organisations in the Middle East.

Alistair Burt: We have longstanding and serious concerns about Iranian support to militia in the Middle East. We regularly raise this issue with senior political leaders in the region. I raised arms transfers to Hizbollah with Prime Minister Hariri during my visit to Lebanon earlier this year and underlined the importance of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1701 which calls for the disarmament of all armed groups. We will continue to push for full implementation of all such UNSCRs and give our full support to the UN sanctions committees pursuing and investigating sanctions violations.

Israel: Human Rights

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to his EU counterparts to request that Israel complies with the provisions of the EU-Israel Association Agreement relating to human rights; and that no further moves be made to develop closer political and economic ties with Israel until the terms of the agreement have been satisfied.

Alistair Burt: We are in regular discussions with EU partners on a number of issues related to the Middle East peace process including the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
	The UK has worked hard, with support from other member states, to ensure that the EU has regular discussions about human rights in Israel. This is in line with the human rights elements of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
	The EU has made clear that any progress on this agreement must be seen in the context of progress in the wider peace process.

Pakistan: Capital Punishment

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to his Pakistan counterpart on the death sentence given to Mrs Asia Bibi.

Alistair Burt: The UK opposes the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. In Pakistan, alongside EU colleagues, we regularly raise our support for its abolition and work with civil society to encourage reform.
	Our high commission in Islamabad has raised the case of Mrs Asia Bibi with the Punjab Government and we will continue to do so at a senior level. Specific representations to the Government of Pakistan are being made by the head of the EU delegation, with UK support, in Islamabad.

Taiwan: British Nationals Abroad

Frank Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British nationals have applied for a British passport in Taiwan in each of the last five years.

Jeremy Browne: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not issue British passports in Taiwan. Applicants for British passports from Taiwan send their applications to the Regional Passport Processing Centre in Hong Kong. We do not separate out data according to country of residence at the time of application and to provide such information retrospectively would incur disproportionate cost.

Western Sahara: Violence

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made representations to the Moroccan Government on the recent attacks on Saharawi protestors; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials have met officials from the Moroccan embassy to discuss the recent violence in Western Sahara. The UK is using its position as President of the United Nations Security Council to convene an informal meeting of the Security Council to discuss the reports of violence in Western Sahara and has called for an assessment of the current situation from the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara (MINURSO) forces. I will also raise Western Sahara with my counterparts when I visit Morocco later this year.
	We are saddened by reports of the loss of life. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office released a statement on 11 November expressing concern at reports of violence and calling for a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution that provides for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.

Western Sahara: Violence

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to send a representative to El Aauin in Western Sahara as a result of the recent violent incidents.

Alistair Burt: We have no plans to send a representative to Western Sahara at present. However, we visit Western Sahara regularly, as well as keeping abreast of developments through United Nations peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara (MINURSO) and other contacts in the region. We would of course expect to send a representative to the territory as part of our regular visits to the region in the future.

Western Sahara: Violence

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the government of Morocco on Saharawi reported missing following the recent violence in the Western Sahara.

Alistair Burt: We have not had any discussions with the Moroccan Government on people reported missing following the recent violence in Western Sahara. We are concerned by reports of violence and loss of life at the camps outside Gdiem Izik and Layounne and are following the situation closely. Our ambassador at Rabat is in close touch with the Moroccan authorities at a senior level and has urged transparency.

Western Sahara: Violence

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he  (a) last met and  (b) next plans to meet the Moroccan Government to discuss violence in the Western Sahara.

Alistair Burt: Officials in both London and Rabat have discussed recent violence in Western Sahara with their Moroccan counterparts. The UK also chaired a meeting of the UN Security Council on 16 November to gather further information about recent events from Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Atul Khare, and UN Envoy to Western Sahara Ambassador Christopher Ross. I will discuss this issue with the Moroccan authorities when I visit Morocco later this year.